


I've Got the Magic in Me

by GrizzlyBear1710



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Beauxbatons, Bisexual Disaster, Durmstrang, F/F, Fluff, Found Family, Gay Panic, Happy Ending, Hogwarts, Homophobia, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Slow Burn, Triwizard Tournament
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-25 08:40:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30086415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrizzlyBear1710/pseuds/GrizzlyBear1710
Summary: How the Hell am I meant to concentrate in this tournament when I’m against possibly the most attractive people ever, Ava thought. She had no time to answer her own question as a Bludger barrelled towards her. Dodging it by a mere split second, Ava looked up to see who’d sent it her way, eyes widening when she spotted Beatrice wielding a bat and looking awfully apologetic. Ava smirked wickedly. If Beatrice wasn’t holding back, neither would she. This task was going to get a lot more interesting…OrA Hogwarts AU where Ava and Beatrice meet during the Triwizard Tournament as competitors and have to battle not only each of the tasks, but also their building feelings for each other!
Relationships: Shotgun Mary & Ava Silva, Shotgun Mary/Shannon Masters, Sister Beatrice & Sister Camila & Sister Lilith & Shotgun Mary & Ava Silva, Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva
Comments: 30
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> New to this fandom but I love the show and chemistry between Ava and our favourite nun! I also adore Hogwarts AUs and can't shy away from a Triwizard Tournament story:D Hope you enjoy it!

For what could only be the hundredth time in the past hour, Mary rolled her eyes. She was sat in Gryffindor common room, humouring Ava as she bragged about how she would definitely, absolutely, doubtlessly, get picked to be the Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard tournament. In fact, Mary was convinced that if she simply put her earphones in and rolled her eyes every thirty seconds, Ava would still be encouraged to continue talking. It wasn’t like Mary hadn’t considered doing it.

“All I’m saying is that I’d be the best. I mean, I’m quick and kind of smart. Well, I’m not the smartest but I’m not the dumbest either. Yeah, I’d say I’ve got this in the bag. No one else should even put their name in,” Ava only paused to bark out a laugh, “In fact, McGonagall should just call up the other schools and tell them not to bother coming. Damn, they’ve got no chance.”

Huffing loudly, Mary threw her hands up. Ava pressed her lips together, immediately falling quiet.

“I can’t take it anymore. You know I love you Ava, but you’re not God’s gift, okay? Besides, do you really think you’ll be picked over Lilith?” asked Mary. After a second’s consideration, she added, “Do you even want to be picked over Lilith?” Mary shuddered.

“Absolutely. I could take Lilith any day,” Ava quipped.

Unsurprisingly, Mary rolled her eyes. Again. She was pretty sure that even just a few more eyerolls would cause the onset of a headache.

“Alright, champ. Good luck then,” said Mary.

She clapped Ava on the side of her shoulder, pushing herself up to a standing position. The smaller witch looked up with wide eyes.

“Where are you going?”

“To bed. Ava, it’s nearly midnight and you’ve talked my ear off for the past two hours about that stupid tournament. Some of us have human functions and need sleep.”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll come too,” sighed Ava.

Mary just rolled her eyes, letting out a small chuckle as they made their way towards their dorm, Ava still managing to squeeze more out of the conversation.

“Just wait until those Beauxbatons and Durmstrang kids turn up. They won’t know what hit ‘em!”

Somewhere in the depths of the Arctic Ocean, the Durmstrang ship was voyaging towards the Atlantic Ocean. Whilst it was underwater, it worked like a submarine, but still had the markings of a ship – all of which were invisible to Muggles of course. Three friends all huddled in their shared room – one scrolling through cute animal videos while giggling, occasionally sharing her screen with the other two. The tallest of the witches was cracking on with a short assignment, only taking breaks to laugh at the videos Camila was showing her. The other girl sat on the floor with her back against a wall and legs stretched out in front while she was nose-deep in a book about the history of Triwizard tournaments. With a shudder as she reached the chapter on Harry Potter’s year, she dog-eared the page and placed the book beside her.

“You know, Beatrice, it’s one thing to read all about the tournament but another thing completely to actually do it,” said Camila.

With a lot of the school – or at least those wanting to compete in the tournament – moving overseas to study at Hogwarts, they’d all had to speak English like it was their first language for the past few weeks. Apparently, it would help them become accustomed to it, according to their Headmaster, Duretti.

“I would rather be prepared for all eventualities. Considering I cannot do the tournament right now, the next best thing would be to read all about them,” Beatrice replied evenly.

“I think the best thing right now would be getting an early night,” said Shannon, breaking her half an hour silence. She folded her parchment up and tucked it into the drawer beside her bed. “Come on, we’ll be arriving in Scotland tomorrow afternoon and don’t we want to look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for our hosts?” she asked.

“We ought to look our best, yes,” said Beatrice very matter-of-factly.

She set about placing her book into her own drawer and taking her hair down for bed. It seemed, however, that the smallest of the witches was far from sleepy. A broad smile spread across Camila’s features as she tucked her knees up to her chest.

“Oh, isn’t it exciting? I’ve never been to the UK before! Do you think they’ll all drink tea and complain about the weather?” asked Camila, her dark eyes practically glittering. Beatrice stilled, her posture automatically straightening as she held her breath. Shannon let out a small laugh, breaking the trance Beatrice had caught herself in.

“We’re going to Scotland, Cam. I’m thinking less tea and weather, but more haggis and bagpipes,” said Shannon.

“Ooh, that’s even more fun!”

While Shannon and Camila shared their enthusiastic exchange, Beatrice simply slipped under her duvet and turned to face the other two in their beds. She settled her features into a look of nonchalance before faking a yawn. Swiftly afterwards, the two girls followed suit.

“I think that marks bedtime,” said Shannon, only pausing to let out another yawn, “Goodnight girls.”

The other witches parroted her, only to be met with the clicking of the light switch that plunged them into darkness. Beatrice turned over to face the wall and took a steadying breath. She did the maths in her head at lightning speed. Only about fifteen hours until she’d be back where she, unfortunately, called home.

In Southern France, it was a very different story. All the wannabe competitors were up, buzzing with excitement at the prospect of visiting Hogwarts the following day. They were all gathered in JC and Randall’s room, passing around packets of sweets as they discussed who they thought would be the champion. Zori, Chanel, Randall, and a few others sat on the beds, chatting animatedly about why they thought they each deserved to be chosen.

“I mean, come on guys, I’m pretty sure I’ve had the most growth since first year. You can’t argue with that, you can’t,” Chanel argued, placing a hand to her chest as she laughed.

“Yeah, but since when did the Goblet of Fire pick you because you’ve had growth? I think we all know it’s about strength and speed,” Randall countered. He flexed his bicep just to illustrate his point, causing both Zori and Chanel to sigh dramatically.

“Absolutely not. It’s about wits,” said Zori. She smoothed down her already-pristine hair while the others continued with their back-and-forth.

JC, who had been standing in the window, leaning against one of the walls, hadn’t been listening to a word anyone was saying in the past twenty minutes at least. Finally, he seemed to have gathered his thoughts. He stepped away from the window and nodded.

“Guys, we should be focusing on the other competitors from the other schools. Whoever is picked from Beauxbatons is a worthy champion and we shall back them regardless. We’re a team after all,” he said. A few nodded along with him.

“I don’t care about those other schools!” Zori exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “If I’m picked – which I will be – make no mistake, the trophy is mine. It doesn’t matter what those Hogwarts or Durmstrang people have. I’m a Beauxbatons and I’m going to win. End of.”

Zori’s statement was much more well received than JC’s, even earning her a whistle and a few claps. Only Chanel cast him a glance as he stalked back over to the window and looked out at the beautiful view of mountains. Hopefully, he thought, Hogwarts grounds would be as nice as this to look at. He only had a day to wait and see.

//////////

For the first time in (probably) forever, Ava woke at the ‘ass crack of dawn’ as Mary eloquently put it. Immediately after opening her eyes, she was racing into the shower with no regard for how loud she was being as she got ready. In fact, just as Mary felt herself slowly slipping back into sleep, their dorm door banged open and there stood Ava, glowing with an energy Mary couldn’t even begin to put into words. Another one of their roommates grunted, telling Ava to be quiet. The witch simply waved her off before climbing onto Mary’s bed. The older girl peeled open her eyes, revealing Ava sprawled on top of her, wide-eyed and beaming. It was too early for Mary to roll her eyes, but she did so, nevertheless.

“Ava, it’s…” Mary began. She paused to check the clock on her bedside table. With a huff, she continued, “Half past seven on Sunday. The schools aren’t scheduled to get here until like one this afternoon.” The whole time she was speaking, Ava just kept nodding.

“Yes, which is why we need to get up now then I can distract myself from all the excitement until it’s one o’clock,” she argued like she had perfect reasoning for her behaviour.

“Yeah, I’m going to spend that time distracting myself with sleep,” Mary barked. Pursing her lips, Ava’s gaze roamed over Mary’s face before she broke into a smile.

“But you’re already awake.”

This time when Ava made a colossal noise as her whole body was thrown from the bed onto the floor, the other girl in their dorm launched a pillow at her head. _Tough crowd_ , she thought, before picking herself up, dusting herself off, and heading for the door.

“I’ll see you at breakfast!” she called out, seconds before the door shut behind her.

To say she was surprised to see no one down at the Great Hall was an understatement. Ava was sure that at least half the student body would have her sense of excitement and anticipation, dying to be awake and up to meet the guests. Sure, they weren’t expected for at least another five hours, but still. So, with not much choice, Ava dropped down at the lonely Gryffindor table and began filling her plate with way too much food for a witch her size.

Sundays were notoriously the best for breakfasts. Scratch that – they were the best for all mealtimes. She grabbed a handful of sausages, completely discarding the tongs. After all, no one was there to judge or berate her for using her hands, so why not? After that, she picked up a few slices of the best-looking bacon. The crispier, the better. Next were eggs. Typically, Ava wasn’t the biggest fan of eggs, but when they were on offer right in front of her face, how could she say no? This time, she used a slotted spoon to drop some scrambled egg haphazardly on her filled plate. Her eyes widened as she took in the obscene amount of food on her plate. However, before she could eat, she needed a drink.

Picking up her goblet and raising it like she was making a toast, Ava declared, “Pumpkin juice.” She felt her goblet slowly increase in mass before it was full to the brim with her favourite drink.

Once again, her gaze dropped down to the plate in front of her and her stomach rumbled. She wouldn’t delay the inevitable any longer. Disregarding her knife and fork, Ava grabbed the first sausage and started raising it to her lips.

“Hey! Aren’t you supposed to say your prayers before eating?” came a familiar voice from the doors to the Great Hall. Ava grinned, placing her sausage back on the plate.

“I knew you’d join me for breakfast,” she retorted.

Seconds later, Mary dropped down opposite her best friend, shaking her head disbelievingly when she saw the sheer amount of food on her plate. Ava noticed, only prompting her grin to widen.

“This is just for starters,” she said proudly.

“Believe me, I know,” quipped Mary.

However, with nearly as much gusto as Ava had shown – but with double the table manners – Mary started piling her plate up too: Toast, beans, sausages, and hash browns. They dug into their food immediately. Between forkfuls of hash browns, Mary eyed Ava across the table as the girl scoffed her food like it was perishing before her. Once again, Mary shook her head before swallowing.

“Where do you store it all? You’re like five foot and tiny,” said Mary. With a mouthful of food, Ava looks up at Mary as she considers her question. It only takes her a few bites before she can speak again.

“First of all, I’m five foot two – nearly five foot three. Second, that’s easy,” she began. She reached a hand up and tapped a finger to her temple. “Up here. My brain needs fuelling by something.” Mary raised her eyebrows.

“Is that the story you’re telling yourself?” she asked.

“Story? Nope, it’s just the truth—” Ava’s comment was cut off by the door swinging open.

Dressed in a dark green Slytherin Quidditch hoodie and black leggings, Lilith stood in the doorway, a practically murderous look in her eyes. She didn’t so much as give Mary and Ava a second glance before she made her way to the Slytherin table at a fast walk. If Ava had any knowledge of social cues, she decided to completely ignore them.

“Lilith! Hey! Come sit with us!” she shouted across the Hall.

“Dude,” Mary chastised. Her eyes flitted between Ava and Lilith precariously. At an almost dangerous pace, the Slytherin witch turned her head to face the Gryffindors.

“What?” she asked. Her voice was clear, but there was a challenge in there. Once again, it must’ve been something Ava completely surpassed or disregarded.

“You should come sit with us!” Ava repeated.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because otherwise you’ll be sat on your own.”

“And you think I’d prefer to sit with you rather than sit on my—”

“Oh, come on! Either you sit with us and we can chat, or you sit by yourself. Please, just choose one. It’s only gone eight and I can’t stand this back and forth,” Mary interrupted exasperatedly.

Lilith clenched her jaw and pursed her lips, clearly biting back a cutting comment. With a deep breath, she released the tension. What choice did she have? Eventually, she switched directions and started walking towards the Gryffindor table. Mary released a breath. Ava beamed brightly as the witch sat beside Mary.

“So…” Ava began. She grabbed a piece of toast from the pile. “You’re entering your name into the Goblet of Fire too, right?”

Mary let out a groan. Of course, if Ava was involved in the conversation, talk would always turn to the upcoming tournament.

Lilith’s hardened gaze locked onto Ava’s. If Mary wasn’t a little tense, she’d be impressed with how the witch was able to maintain her staring contest while graciously placing breakfast items onto her plate. The Slytherin was nothing like the two Gryffindor girls, only choosing to have scrambled egg on toast.

“Of course. I didn’t realise I’d have competition,” said Lilith. She held out her goblet. “Tea, no sugar, no milk.” Ava pulled a face.

“Black and unsweetened. What’s the point in having tea if you’re going to choose that?” she said. Mary grimaced. This girl was constantly getting herself in trouble with people who she definitely shouldn’t cross. She could just imagine Lilith being the next on her list.

“I like my food and drink simple,” said Lilith.

“You say simple; I say boring,” Ava quipped. This time, Mary sent her a death stare, but Ava just shrugged it off. What neither of them were expecting was the corner of Lilith’s lips to quirk upwards slightly. _Was that a smile?_ Ava thought. Instead of responding, Lilith just turned to her plate and began cutting her toast. After a few moments, she directed her attention to the woman beside her.

“And you? I assume you’re also entering your name into the Goblet of Fire?”

Letting out a dry laugh, Mary replied, “Me? No, I’m not stupid.” Only after the words had left her mouth, did she realise what she’d said. However, once again, Lilith smiled. At least, it looked like she smiled. Kind of.

“You say stupid; I say victorious,” she said simply. It was Ava’s time to let out a snigger as Mary sighed in relief.

//////////

Unsurprisingly, the rest of the morning dragged. The three witches remained in the Great Hall for another hour and a half – by the time most of the Professors had risen for breakfast and some of their fellow students. Many cast sideward glances at the presence of the Slytherin witch at the Gryffindor table, but none dared to stare long enough in fear of being challenged. Their conversation shifted away from the tournament – much to Mary’s relief – and onto lighter topics. With their final school year just starting, each had a story to tell from what shenanigans they got up to over the summer and what they were looking forward to this year.

Ava noticed that Lilith was very short with her answers, like she had rehearsed them all in her head before speaking. It was common knowledge to all that Ava was the direct opposite. If anything, Mary always described Ava as her mouth doing all the work before her brain could even engage. Ava could hardly disagree with that.

However, once all the students had enjoyed some dinner at noon, they only had to wait twenty minutes until the other schools should arrive. It was no surprise to Mary that Ava had bolted the second the clock hand reached ten-to one, racing to get a spot at the front to see the schools arrive. What had surprised her was the vice grip Ava had on Lilith’s wrist as she dragged the other witch – as well as Mary – with her out onto the grounds where they were set to arrive.

Already there and waiting was Headmistress McGonagall, patiently diverting her gaze between the Black Lake and the skies. Mary and Lilith both stopped a few paces away from the headteacher, dragging Ava back with them before she charged forwards. Mary knew for a fact that the next ten minutes would now feel like the longest in her life.

“Shan’t be long now, ladies,” said McGonagall, not once taking her eyes off the horizon. Ava fist-pumped, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

It didn’t take long before more and more of the Hogwarts student body made their way onto the grounds. With only five minutes to go, all the professors were stood in the crowd. Professor Flitwick accompanied McGonagall at the front, exchanging a few words every now and then. Neither Mary nor Lilith got the chance to wonder what time it was as Ava called every minute how many minutes were left until one o’clock. Thirty seconds.

“I doubt they’ll turn up at exactly one,” they overheard a third-year student say behind them.

“Prepare to be surprised,” said Professor McGonagall.

As if on cue, Ava’s watch beeped, indicating that it was exactly one o’clock and, in the distance, everyone could see something coming towards them. Ava squinted. It looked like a flying carriage, but it couldn’t be flying. As it drew nearer and nearer, it became clear that it was being pulled by Gigantic Pegasus. _Cool_ , Ava thought. An impossibly broad smile stretched across her face as she watched with comically wide eyes and a dazed expression. The carriage was actually the size of a house and Ava felt her excitement grow.

Graciously, the Gigantic Pegasus touched down on the floor, gently bringing the carriage to a stop atop the grass. The main door slid open and out came a towering woman, equally twice the height of Ava, Mary, and probably Lilith. A few curious heads popped around the door to take in their surroundings, but the door closed moments later.

“Madame Maxime, how lovely to see you again,” Professor McGonagall greeted. She stepped forwards, holding out her hand to the woman. Madame Maxime took her hand, bending down to almost half her own height to kiss each of Professor McGonagall’s cheeks.

“How lovely it is to be back, Minerva. Thank you for your hospitality,” she said in a strong French accent.

Ava was straining her ears to overhear all the words between the two headmasters when her attention was drawn to the Black Lake in front of her. Usually still, the Lake rippled and bubbled until it was roaring like an ocean during a storm. Ava held her breath. Suddenly, a large mast appeared in the water as it broke the surface. Then, gasps travelled around the student body as an entire ship seemed to crash through the surface and level onto the water. It was astonishing. Huge. It was designed like the pirate ships Ava used to see in diagrams and books back when she was in the orphanage, but way more magnificent. If anything, this ship slash submarine type transport almost put the carriage and Gigantic Pegasus to shame. Not quite though. _That was still really cool_ , said Ava in her mind.

The ship couldn’t reach the shore fast enough as Ava’s excitement nearly bubbled over. Once it did hit the bank, it seemed to dock automatically, and a large slab of wood popped out of the side and dropped onto the grass. An older man with a lumbering walk approached the other two headmasters with almost a grin about him. Ava watched as the professors all interacted, shaking hands, and offering cheek kisses. This was the part that disinterested Ava the most. She wanted to see the other witches and wizards. She wanted to scout out her competition. She peered closer at the docked ship, but there was no sign of anyone.

Professor McGonagall turned to face Ava and the others with a pinched smile on her face as Duretti spoke. She offered a hand to Lilith.

“Come up here, dear and introduce yourself,” said McGonagall.

Obediently, Lilith walked to the front. Ava could barely hide her jealousy as she watched with rapt attention. She also couldn’t hear any of what was being exchanged between the student and all the teachers for all the raucous her fellow students were causing behind and beside her. Suddenly, a flash of a face near the plank of the ship caught Ava’s attention, but as soon as she turned to look who it was, they were gone.

“What’s going on, Beatrice?” Camila asked. She was practically vibrating on the spot. Shannon leaned in closer to try to spy outside the plank, but Beatrice was closest to the main entrance.

“The headmasters are all meeting Hogwarts’ Head Girl: Lilith,” said Beatrice.

“You heard her name all the way from back here?” Shannon questioned.

With a small shake of her head, Beatrice said, “No. I did my research. It was quite hard not to. Her family are famous in the Wizarding World, having six members all compete and crowned victorious in the Triwizard Tournaments over the decades.”

“Whoa,” Camila breathed out, “Does she look scary?”

“She’s…stern,” was all Beatrice said.

The next minute, she heard the voice of her own headmaster, calling for her to come out and meet the others. Simultaneously, the headmistress of Beauxbatons shouted for her Head Boy to show himself. Beatrice could tell that the boy from Beauxbatons had walked out first by the short gasps of the crowd. She’d done her research on him, too, but he wasn’t someone with a famous lineage. Rather, he was muggle-born. Steeling herself, Beatrice straightened her attire and ran a hand over her hair pulled into a conservative bun at the nape of her neck. She mustn’t keep Duretti waiting any longer. Besides, if she did, it would make for a poor first impression. So, with a small smile and bated breath, Beatrice stepped onto the plank.

Ava was overwhelmed; she felt like she would burst. First, the Head Boy from Beauxbatons had come out, all smiles and waves like he was a member of a boyband greeting his adorning fans. He was tall and very confident, _bordering on arrogant_ , Ava would argue. He was introduced by Madame Maxime to the rest of the cohort as him and Lilith shook hands, the latter hardly even giving him a smile. Ava was sure they said what his name was, but she completely forgot the second a woman stepped onto the plank and made her way down to the bank. She was beautiful. But not only that, but she was elegant, gracious in her movements. Ava would argue that she was a stark contrast to the Beauxbatons Head Boy, with her head tipped slightly but with a small smile. _Quietly confident, perhaps_ , thought Ava. Either way, she was drawn to the witch. So drawn that she’d completely forgotten to listen to everything Duretti was saying. She caught the end of his speech.

“…Beatrice, our esteemed Head Girl of Durmstrang,” Duretti announced in a loud but raspy voice.

Ava watched with mild curiosity as the witch took Lilith’s hand and shook it, offering her a polite smile. Next, Beatrice shook the hands of Madame Maxime and Professor McGonagall. As she broke contact, Ava felt like her hearing suddenly zoned in on the small group a few feet in front of them.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” she said.

Ava could’ve sworn Beatrice had the softest, most eloquent way of speaking she had ever heard. She also noticed that – considering this school was somewhere in Northern Europe – the witch had astoundingly proficient English, so much so that she even had a slightly posh British accent.

Broken from her reverie, Ava’s observations were interrupted by Professor McGonagall clasping her hands together and turning to the Hogwarts’ student body. Almost immediately, everyone fell silent, awaiting her announcement.

“Hogwarts welcomes our guests and as a proper welcome, we shall throw a feast tonight. I would like all Hogwarts students to treat our guests with the utmost respect. We shall meet the others tonight at six o’clock sharp. Do not forget,” said Professor McGonagall.

She turned back to the other headmasters and started walking towards the ship, a spring in her step. Ava supposed that the tournament’s arrival wasn’t just an opportunity for the students to take part or be entertained, but also for the professors’ benefit too. _It would surely rupture the monotony of teaching the same old boring crap they always do,_ Ava thought.

/////////

For the hundredth time that day, Mary tried diverting her full attention back to her essay in the library when Ava made a popping noise with her mouth. Admittedly, perhaps Mary didn’t want to concentrate fully, which was why she was being distracted so easily. She looked up, finding the younger witch trying to balance a quill over the top of her lips, work long abandoned. Upon realising that she was being watched, Ava averted her gaze in Mary’s direction. Comically slowly, Ava’s expression fell along with the quill as it dropped onto her parchment. Mary broke, her expression morphing from annoyance to amusement in a matter of milliseconds.

Ava let out a prolonged groan, dropping her head into her hands. Her head smacked against the wooden desk, making a dull knocking noise. The librarian behind the desk shushed them. Ava lifted her head curiously as she thought, _how on earth did she hear that?_ Mary let out a noiseless chuckle.

“No, I just can’t concentrate. I feel like I’ve so much nervous energy!” Ava whined.

“Baby girl, all we’re doing is meeting a bunch of other students. Why are you so nervous?” asked Mary in a whisper. Ava fidgeted, pulling the sleeves of her jumper down over her hands.

“Because, Mary, I’m going to be facing two of them in this tournament,” said Ava.

“Hmm, you’re quite sure of that, aren’t you?”

“Duh. Don’t ask me what it is, but I just know I’ll be chosen.”

“Even over prodigy Lilith?”

“Yep,” said Ava with unwavering confidence. Mary checked her watch.

“Luckily for you, we only have to wait another twenty minutes before we do meet them,” Mary said.

“What?” Ava exclaimed. She leapt from her seat, earning an even louder, more aggressive shush from the librarian. In a hissing whisper, Ava continued, “How could you not tell me we only have twenty minutes? I need to do…I should do…Something!”

“I’m sorry I didn’t realise I was your personal timekeeper,” Mary groaned. She began packing her things away. “Besides, what do you need to do? Wash your hair?”

“Should I?” asked Ava. She threw a hand to her hair to feel if it was greasy despite only washing it that morning. Mary rolled her eyes.

“Chill out, okay. Let’s go drop this stuff off then head down to the Great Hall to grab a seat.”

Mary was expecting them to be quick, but not lightning fast. She was pretty sure that Ava would’ve apparated if it was allowed on Hogwarts’ grounds. In a few minutes, Ava was practically bounding down the stairs with Mary in tow. It was a good job they rushed, because by the time they arrived at the Great Hall, it was packed with Hogwarts students, leaving Ava and Mary only a small space at the very edge of the Gryffindor table to sit. Ava looked around the room. Everyone was crammed into small spaces, sat shoulder-to-shoulder with their friends. At the edge of each of the house’s tables were delegated spaces for the students from the other schools. Sneakily, Ava had to shift a piece of parchment that read ‘reserved’ down a spot. Thankfully, no one noticed.

Just as they sat down, the doors to the Hall flung open. In paraded Duretti with a small flagpole while some sort of Gospel song played. Ava whipped her head around in all directions, wondering, _where is that music coming from?_ Her attention was redirected when there were grunts and yells as the students of Durmstrang stormed into the room, wielding batons. They all began an intricate routine that looked very much like a warrior dance. Ava was enraptured, unable to tear her eyes away – even for a second. They were all mesmerising, but Ava couldn’t help her attention being drawn to one particular witch who went by the name of Beatrice. She moved with such fluidity that it was almost like she’d been weapon trained since she could walk.

The performance came to an end with them all dropping to one knee, their batons in front of them as they let out a loud battle cry. Once done, they dispersed, dropping down at either of the four tables. Ava’s eyes watched Beatrice the whole time until she slipped into a seat at the Hufflepuff table with two other girls. Muttering a quiet ‘whoa,’ Ava turned to look at Mary, hoping to exchange some words of disbelief when she was met with the witch fixating on where Beatrice was sat. Ava followed her eyeline, finding that Mary’s intense stare was aimed at the woman beside Beatrice. She held in a chuckle. Her best friend was so typical, always going for the tall ladies. Playfully, she elbowed the older witch and Mary was snapped out of her trance – just in time as the Beauxbatons walked in next.

This performance was just as mesmerising. The girls all ran in first, twirling and jumping around before they were followed by a bunch of boys. The first thing Ava noticed was how drop-dead gorgeous they all were – boys and girls alike. It was clear they came from rich families, dressed pristinely and all very well-manicured. The boys all took the hands of the girls and began dancing in a typical ballroom fashion. Everything was smooth and perfect. It ended abruptly with the girls curtseying and boys bowing. Moments later, they also took their seats. One boy gave Ava a tight-lipped smile before dropping down beside her. She returned his smile and couldn’t help thinking, _God, he is gorgeous!_

Professor McGonagall stood up, ready to make her speech at the start of term. As she made her way to the podium, it gave Ava a chance to look at the wizard beside her. His hair was messy in a stylish way, almost falling into his deep brown eyes. He was tall and well-built with broad shoulders. If Ava had to describe him in two words, it would be ‘pretty boy.’

“Hey,” he suddenly turned to her, flashing bright white teeth. Ava’s mouth dropped open very unladylike, but he just smiled. “I’m JC, nice to meet you,” he said. Holding his hand out to her, Ava just glanced at it. It took Mary elbowing her for her to be brought back into the present.

“Er, Ava. Hi,” she replied.

JC looked like he was about to say something else when Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, ready to start her announcement.

“I would like to start by welcoming our guests to Hogwarts. While they are here, although they’ll be staying in their own arranged accommodation, they will be attending all our classes. However, to our guests, I know your headmasters have explained our rules and while you’re on Hogwarts’ grounds, you will all be expected to follow them. Now, without further ado, I shall tell you that the Goblet of Fire will be set up tomorrow from nine in the morning tomorrow until nine tomorrow evening. If you are in the last two years, you can enter your name into the Goblet, but do remember the risks of entering the tournament. This is not a choice to be taken lightly. Best of luck to all of you who enter your names!” she paused, using the time to look around the room. Her gaze lingered on some individuals. Ava noticed one of which was Lilith, sat proudly at the head of the Slytherin table. Once satisfied the message had been delivered to the student body, McGonagall continued, “Now, let us start the feast!” With a clap of her hands, the Great Hall was transformed, platters upon platters of mouth-watering food filling all four long tables.

Laughter and chat brought the room to life again as everyone began ladling food onto their plates. Ava just so happened to look up at exactly the right time to spot the Durmstrang Head Girl catching her gaze. However, before Ava could even offer her a friendly smile, she’d dropped her head to focus on her plate and didn’t once look back in her direction the whole meal.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments! Please keep them coming, I love knowing what you guys think:D Oh, also, thought I should mention that anything in Italics are Ava's internal monologues!

_I don’t care what you’re saying, pretty boy. Just keep talking,_ Ava thought as JC continued chatting to her as he was accompanying Ava and Mary as they walked towards Gryffindor. Mary lagged a little, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Ava was simply lost in JC’s eyes. The boy could chat; that much was clear. From the moment they’d started eating, he had turned to Ava, Mary and the nearest Gryffindors, asking questions about all sorts then talking a bit about himself. Ava felt comfortable in his presence. She was usually the chatty type, but when that burden was off her shoulders for a short while, she found herself enjoying being the one to simply just listen.

“So, yeah, those are my plans for after Beauxbatons, you know? Travelling, sightseeing, getting out in the world,” he said, moving his hands around as he spoke. Ava nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah, that all sounds…great,” she replied, trying desperately to remember what exactly he’d been talking about.

“What about you? Do you have any plans?” he asked.

They stopped right in front of the main entrance. One hallway would lead Ava and Mary back up to Gryffindor Tower, but JC would have to exit onto the grounds to get back to the carriage where the Beauxbatons were residing. The sudden stop in walking almost caused Mary to topple straight into them. Ava furrowed her brows in Mary’s direction. The older witch sent her a familiar look: ‘It’s nothing.’ The slight shrug of Ava’s shoulders was invisible to those who didn’t know her well. JC noticed nothing of their silent exchange, still awaiting an answer from Ava.

“Right, well, it was nice meeting you, JJ, but we should be heading back to Gryffindor. Plenty of rest needed before school starts,” said Mary dismissively.

“Um, it’s JC…” he replied, but it was too late. Mary had already checked out of that conversation and was walking away, beckoning for Ava to follow. The small witch chuckled at JC’s baffled expression.

“Hopefully I’ll see you around,” she said. They shared a smile before bidding each other goodnight.

They’d barely walked ten paces away from the main entrance when Ava swooned, swinging her arms by her side as she walked with a slight spring in her step. Seemingly brought back to reality, Mary side-eyed her and quirked a brow.

“I think I’m in love,” said Ava in a sing-song voice. She clutched her hands to her chest as she smiled to herself.

“Baby girl, I can assure you. You’re not in love,” mocked Mary.

“Oh yeah, and how would you know? Are you suddenly a love expert after having a staring contest with the tall brunette from Durmstrang?” Ava quipped.

With the pull of a smirk at her lips, Ava challenged Mary, daring her to admit that her observations were correct. Her questions seemingly had no outward result on Mary, but Ava saw the flash of an emotion in her eyes and she knew she’d caught her red-handed.

“This isn’t about me,” Mary began, deflecting the questions expertly, “You’ve known the boy for an hour. How can you be in love?”

Based on the lack of response, Mary could only assume she’d stumped Ava. It filled her with a slight sense of vindication. For the girl with the gift of the gab to be reduced to silence was rather miraculous. Mary sniggered to herself.

“Anyway, shouldn’t we get back and write your name down on a piece of parchment? We don’t want you forgetting to enter that tournament now, do we?” said Mary. She pinched Ava’s cheek mockingly. Ava swatted her hand away.

With a snort, Ava replied, “Like I’d forget!”

//////////

Ava forgot. In fact, she’d gone half the next day, her mind completely devoid of everything associated with the Goblet of Fire and the slip of parchment securely placed in her pocket. If it wasn’t for JC bringing it up at dinner, she’d have completely missed her chance. But, as soon as the words ‘Triwizard Tournament’ left his lips, she was up like a rocket, barrelling towards the front of the Great Hall where the Goblet sat before Professor McGonagall’s podium. The headmistress watched her in amusement as she fumbled her hands in every pocket on her person until she caught the slip of paper. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she dropped it into the Goblet, smiling victoriously like she’d already been chosen as champion.

“Best of luck, Miss Silva,” came the familiar voice of Professor McGonagall.

She had a glint in her eye, almost like she had foreseen the results of that night’s ceremony. Ava thanked her politely, turning around to walk back to her seat when she came face-to-face with a familiar girl from Durmstrang. She was short, about the same height as Ava herself, with very cute, soft features. The girl offered Ava a broad smile.

Before she could return it, Ava said, “Sorry, I need to look where I’m walking.”

“That’s okay! No harm, no foul,” said the chipper girl.

Ava let her focus roam over the girl. She was the short witch who was sat with Beatrice the other night. Unlike the Head Girl, this student didn’t speak English in a British accent. She also seemed almost too nice to be volunteering to take part in such a notoriously deadly tournament.

If the Durmstrang student was intimidated or felt awkward under Ava’s curious stare, she showed no signs of it, instead outstretching a hand to the Hogwarts student.

“Camila. You’re a Gryffindor, right?” the girl asked, pausing only for a second and with nowhere near enough time for Ava to answer the question, “I think us Durmstrang guys have Charms with you after lunch today.”

Ava couldn’t help but smile in response to the overly positive girl. She was charming and very pleasant, emitting an aura of positivity and acceptance. Of course, Ava had not the faintest idea about Wizarding auras that Professor Trelawney banged on about, but she could tell just from the tiniest interaction with Camila that the girl was a literal ray of sunshine.

“I’m Ava,” she said. They clasped hands and shook. Just as Ava was about to wish her well and walk back to her table, another familiar woman sidled up beside Camila.

“Hey Cam, who’s your friend?” she asked cheerily.

 _Were all the Durmstrang girls this nice?_ Ava wondered. She chanced a quick glance over to her table, noticing Mary watching their interaction with a burning gaze. Ava quickly suppressed a smirk.

“Oh, Shannon, this is Ava. She’s a Gryffindor,” Camila made the introductions.

“Yeah, I can tell from the robes,” said Shannon with a friendly chuckle. She also took Ava’s hand, shaking it firmly but gently.

“Er, nice to meet you both,” said Ava, shuffling her feet a little.

“Likewise,” said Shannon. Camila stood between them, looking up and smiling at them both in turn. “But we should really put our names in. Maybe we’ll see you later, Ava,” Shannon continued. She flashed Ava a warm smile, then breezed past her towards the Goblet.

“See you in Charms!” Camila said, adding a little wave.

“Bye,” was all Ava could manage.

Regaining her step, she walked back over to the Gryffindor table, dropping down beside JC and across from Mary, analysing the interaction that had just ensued. Usually, Ava wasn’t really one for making friends. That much was evident considering Mary was not only her best friend, but also her only friend. _Could I count Lilith as a friend now? We’ve spoken like twice. That counts, right?_ Ava asked herself. She shook her head and lowered it a little. Maybe this could be her fresh start. These students from the other schools didn’t know her, so maybe she could befriend them. They seemed pleasant enough. She looked up just in time to spot the two Durmstrang witches walking back over to the Hufflepuff table. Ava waved first. _Hell yeah, putting myself out there!_ She held her breath until they waved back, then relaxed a bit. When she returned her attention to the table, the first thing she spotted were Mary’s cheeks, much redder than Ava had ever seen. She saw her opportunity and grasped it with both hands.

“She’s called Shannon, you know,” said Ava coyly. Mary shot her a death glare as her cheeks returned to their normal colour. As she focused back on Ava, her eyes hardened, and a grin found its way onto her lips.

“Making friends, are we?” asked Mary, the expert of deflecting apparently.

“Jealous, are we?” Ava hit back. She kicked Mary’s foot under the table, landing her an even harder kick on her shin from the older girl, but Ava just laughed. All the while, JC looked between them, completely puzzled.

/////////

Ava could be described in many ways: Forgetful, empathetic, loyal, ballsy, and rather careless. Her professors liked to remind her of that last one on a regular basis, including now as she sprinted through the door, late to her first Charms class of the year. As if he was waiting for her burst in at that exact moment, Professor Flitwick stood with a hand on his hip in the middle of the classroom with a slight scowl on his face. Ava stood still in the doorway, feeling many pairs of eyes turn towards her. Many, unfamiliar, pairs of eyes all looking in her direction.

“Professor, I’m sorry, I was—” Ava began.

“Asleep, finishing an assignment, playing Wizard’s chest, losing track of time, showing first years where Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom is…” Professor Flitwick finished for her. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow, effectively silencing Ava. “Which excuse do you want to use this time?” he asked.

Ava dared to sneak a look around the room to spot Mary. She didn’t have to search for long, hearing a chuckle barely covered up from the left side of the room. When Ava caught her eye, Mary immediately turned away from her, hiding her smile behind her hands. What did catch Ava’s attention, though, was who Mary had opted to sit beside: Shannon. She raised an eyebrow. Interesting.

At the sound of Professor Flitwick tapping his foot impatiently on the wooden floorboards, Ava was pulled back to her current situation. _Ah, that was it – being reprimanded for being late. Again,_ she thought with a sigh.

“Would you believe me if I said I was showing a Beauxbatons student how to find the Dungeons?” asked Ava. She was telling the truth. JC had asked her for directions, although she was pretty sure he already knew where they were. Both groups of new students had been given tours of the grounds on their arrival.

Flitwick gave a heavy sigh, then relented, “Fine. Sit down, but make no mistake, Miss Silva, if you’re late again, I’ll give you detention.”

“Yes, Professor,” said Ava.

This time, she allowed her eyes to wander around the room, searching frantically for an empty seat and coming up short. Apparently, all the Durmstrang students here for the tournament were taking Charms. Ava spotted Camila, smiling politely up at her from the back row of the right side of the classroom. She was sat beside Lilith. In fact, as Ava focused more closely on the students in the room, she noticed all Gryffindors were paired with Durmstrang students, leaving a few Durmstrang students working together.

Professor Flitwick noticed her stillness and sighed exasperatedly. He looked around the room at who were partners. According to his calculations, there should be one spare Durmstrang student without a partner. He moved his wand, soundlessly charming a chair in the corner of the room to fly over to the end of the front row on the right side.

“You’ll have to squish in there, Miss Silva. You’ll be partnered with Miss…” Flitwick began. Ava followed his eyeline to see who he was talking to, immediately feeling her stomach flip. Professor Flitwick was looking at her on the front row, waiting for her to give him her surname.

“Beatrice,” she said quietly. When Professor Flitwick furrowed his brows slightly, clearly not expecting her to give her forename, she repeated, “Beatrice is fine,” with more conviction. Clearly satisfied – though a little confused – he turned back to Ava.

“Miss Silva, you’ll be partnered with Miss…Beatrice for this term.” As she approached him on her way to her new seat, he whispered, loud enough for only her to hear, “Be nice.”

Ava gave him a reassuring smile that she was quite sure came across as uneasy, then took her seat. Folding her arms across her chest, she pulled the sleeves of her jumper down over her hands and began toying with the frays. She had no idea why her stomach was flipping in the way that it was. Sure, Beatrice was attractive, and of course, Ava had accepted her bisexuality a long time ago, but she’d never even spoken a word to this witch before. This witch who was curiously watching her out of the corner of her eye.

Professor Flitwick stopped his lecture on how to do the charm they’d be working on in class, leaving the pairs to start practicing on small items before introducing them to bigger ones. Ava watched as Shannon tried talking to Mary, who seemed almost stunned into silence. She grinned as she watched her friend suffer but was soon snapped out of it when she heard the soft voice beside her.

“Do you want me to move up so you can squeeze on the bench?” asked Beatrice.

Ava turned her head, noting how much more beautiful Beatrice looked when she was this close. Her dark eyes searched Ava’s as soon as they met, and her face was pulled into a look of seriousness, but still seemed kind and soft. Trustworthy. A smatter of freckles covered the apples of her cheeks and across her nose. She was cute. _No, she was drop-dead gorgeous,_ Ava thought. As Beatrice continued looking at her, clearly waiting on an answer, Ava suddenly realised, _Yeah, and I’m distracted. Okay, don’t be weird._

“Um, no, it’s cool. I can sit here, in this chair. I don’t mind. Yeah, it’s quite comfy actually,” she said. _Definitely weird,_ Ava cursed herself internally, but Beatrice just smiled softly.

“I’ll ask the others to move up,” she said decisively.

The next thing Ava knew, everyone on the front row were budging up, shuffling along the bench to make space for her. It was…odd. Ava wasn’t necessarily invisible most of the time. People obviously knew who she was. How could they not? She was pathologically late and made quite the entrances to all her classes. The problem was that no one really cared. Sure, they were in her house, and some were even her Quidditch teammates, but that’s where the line was drawn. For all intents and purposes, Ava was just…Ava. If she’d had asked for the others to move up the bench, they would’ve just ignored her, but it seemed everyone on that row respected Beatrice. Ava wondered what that would feel like.

“There you go. You should be able to fit in now,” said Beatrice.

She motioned to the very small spot beside her. It was a good job Ava was slim otherwise she wouldn’t have fit, and even though she was slim, she still ended up practically pressed against Beatrice’s side. The witch beside her stiffened, drawing herself up so her posture was impeccable. _Come on, Ava, think of something to say! Don’t make this awkward now. Use words. You know some words,_ Ava told herself.

“Oh, um, I’m Ava by the way,” she said. _Not bad,_ she thought, _though you can hardly mess that one up._

“Beatrice,” said the other girl politely.

“Yeah, I know.” _And, back to being weird again._ Ava tried to save herself, “Only because you’re Head Girl and you introduced yourself yesterday when you arrived. Oh, and Professor Flitwick obviously asked your name like ten minutes ago, and I just remembered it.” Ava wanted desperately to bang her head against the desk in despair. _How about next time, I come prepared with a shovel if I’m going to keep digging like that. Fuck!_ She was surprised when Beatrice let out a tiny, almost melodic laugh.

“I am glad we cleared that up,” she said. If Ava wasn’t mistaken, she could’ve sworn she saw a small flicker of amusement in her eyes as she spoke. It took her a full second before she realised Beatrice was messing with her. Ava matched Beatrice’s smile. Maybe making friends was easier than what she remembered from first year.

“Ladies let’s get those charms going. Show me what you’ve got,” Professor Flitwick interrupted their little moment.

 _Shit, shit, shit,_ Ava immediately panicked. They hadn’t tried the charm once, and although it was a simple one she’d learned in first year, it was one she hadn’t touched since learning it, especially not to practice levitating heavy items like textbooks. Beatrice, however, stepped in to save her the embarrassment.

“Wingardium Leviosa,” she said in a soft, perfectly enunciated voice.

Effortlessly, the large textbook floated in mid-air, and Ava watched on wide-eyed. No one else in the class had managed the charm with something this big, but Beatrice. Well, she could do it in one try. Gently, she placed it back down on the desk again, smiling up at their Professor.

“Well, your headmaster was right about you. Very well done, Miss…Beatrice,” he said, clapping his hands together. Ava chuckled at how he stumbled over the use of her first name. Professor Flitwick looked at her disapprovingly. “Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two this term sat next to Miss Beatrice, hmm,” he added. He peered at her over his glasses.

“Miracles happen every day, Professor,” she replied.

Surprisingly, he let out a chuckle. Beatrice smiled along at the joke, and Ava felt a burst of something in her chest. Had she just made a joke, that others found funny? She couldn’t wait to tell Mary. Their Professor moved along the desk, now with a small smile on his face as he helped the students who were struggling. Ava turned to Beatrice, finding the witch already looking at her. A smile automatically found its way onto her face. _Beatrice seemed to just have that effect, like Camila actually_ , Ava thought.

“So…” Ava began, prepositioning Beatrice with a coy smile and a slight tilt to her head, “Will you teach me your ways?” She was so busy chuckling at her own question that she completely failed to notice the slight blush dusting Beatrice’s cheeks. It was something Camila, a few rows behind, definitely didn’t miss though.

//////////

Unusually quiet, Camila practically skipped through the hallways beside Shannon and Beatrice as they made their way to the Great Hall for the ceremony. With the odd few side glances at the youngest of the witches, Beatrice put Camila’s silence down to nerves. On the other hand, Shannon had suddenly turned into the chatty one, going on and on about her new partner in Charms and how she’s so cool because she can ride a motorbike. Beatrice was listening, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn’t afford any distractions. The reason she was here at Hogwarts was to compete in the Triwizard Tournament and be victorious. She wasn’t like Shannon, nervously chatting to burn off anxious energy, nor was she like Camila, fiddling with her hair and robes as she ruminated. Beatrice was calm, ready. She opened the heavy doors to the Great Hall.

Before them stood the huge Goblet of Fire, looking a lot more daunting and serious than it had that afternoon when they’d dropped their names in. Many students were already seated, either on the four long tables, or slouched against the outer walls if they hadn’t put their names in or were too young to compete. Upon closer inspection, Shannon noticed that only three tables were occupied: One for Hogwarts hopefuls, one for Beauxbatons, and one for them. She motioned for the other two witches to follow her to the far table, dropping down first and feeling that anxiety brim. She took a long gulp from her water bottle, trying to combat the dryness in her mouth.

The whole hall was silent. With the tables set up as such, Beatrice took her first opportunity to scope out the competition. Obviously, everyone who had come from either Beauxbatons or Durmstrang were hoping to take part. She didn’t spot anyone familiar from the Beauxbatons table who she thought may be a force to be reckoned with based on their heritage or legacies. When her gaze flicked across to the Hogwarts table, she was surprised at how many were sat there, willing to endanger their lives – even after what had happened to their very own previous Hogwarts students ten years ago. Although the threat of Voldemort had been eradicated, no one had forgotten the fate poor Cedric Diggory had faced.

Beatrice wasn’t surprised to see the Head Girl, Lilith, sat at the table, proud and arrogant as she kept her eyes trained on the flickering flames of the Goblet. Beatrice had done her research. She knew that out of everyone on that Hogwarts table, Lilith was the likely successor. Beside her, Beatrice was a little surprised to spot her new Charms partner, Ava. The witch had seemed cocky and laidback. She wouldn’t have anticipated this. Her mask slipped for a second as she raised an eyebrow, just as Ava looked up from her lap and spotted her staring. Instead of awkwardly averting her gaze, Ava waved, a nervous smile gracing her features. Although her parents would scold her for being improper, Beatrice waved back, feeling a bit of the tension in the room break.

Camila shifted around to see who her friend was waving at. When she spotted Ava, she waved more enthusiastically. Shannon did the same. Beatrice flinched a little. Now they were really drawing attention to themselves in a dead silent room. Daring a look at the professor’s table, Beatrice spotted their headmaster Duretti looking at them with narrowed eyes. Swiftly, she sent her two friends a warning look. They dropped their hands immediately, but Camila still offered Ava a reassuring smile. Out of the corner of her eye, Beatrice saw Duretti shaking his head. She dropped her gaze to the wooden table and didn’t raise it until Professor McGonagall rose to her feet.

“Good evening everyone,” she began. Although her accent was soft and her voice soothing, Beatrice felt all her hairs stand on end at the sound of it. McGonagall continued, “Thank you for joining us for the ceremony. Now, I’ll put you all out of your misery. The first champion is…”

Beatrice felt sick. At any moment, she felt like she’d throw up right there on the table. Her outward expression revealed nothing of a sort. She was sat straight up, eyes trained on Professor McGonagall, her face a mask of impassiveness. Beside her, she felt Shannon shift. The girl seemingly couldn’t keep still.

The Goblet glowed a bright blue before turning a menacing shade of red, its flames dancing before their eyes. Then, it spat out a charred piece of parchment before turning blue again. Professor McGonagall let it float for a second before reaching out and plucking it seemingly from mid-air.

“From Beauxbatons,” she began. Beatrice felt herself relax slightly. Professor McGonagall faltered, one hand on the edge of her glasses as she took a closer look at what was written on the parchment. Finally, she seemed happy she’d read the name right. Unsurely, she announced, “JC?”

There was a whoop followed by a strong round of applause when the tall, handsome boy from the French school rose to his feet. Beatrice tried to place him in her memory. His name certainly wasn’t familiar, and she hadn’t been in any of his classes yet. She happened to glance over at the Hogwarts table to find Ava clapping and cheering for him, and that’s when it hit her. She’d seen him on their first night, chatting to Ava at the Hogwarts table. Only briefly had she glanced at him, wondering if he too thought Ava was just as pretty as she had first thought. She shook her head to free herself of those thoughts, instead focusing on clapping along with the rest of the room.

As JC shook hands with the headmasters then disappeared into the small adjoining room, the Goblet of Fire glowed red again, another piece of parchment flying from its depths into the air. The room hushed into silence.

“From Hogwarts…”

Beatrice and the others allowed their focuses to sweep across to the middle table. Ava was staring at Professor McGonagall as she played with the sleeves of her jumper absentmindedly. Lilith’s posture straightened. She was the epitome of confidence, except Beatrice saw her throat bob slightly.

The whole room waited with bated breath for McGonagall to finish her sentence. Her eyes trained on the parchment, a slight, barely-there smile appearing on her lips, then disappearing within milliseconds.

“Ava!” she shouted.

The Gryffindor girl didn’t even seem surprised. She leapt to her feet, a bright, almost blinding smile on her face as she skipped to the front of the Great Hall. Beatrice felt her chest expand and a smile find its way onto her lips at seeing how happy Ava looked with the result. The Hogwarts students cheered and clapped for their champion, but Beatrice could’ve sworn no one clapped louder than Camila across from her.

In the corner of the room, a silent Mary was sat with her back against the wall. She cheered and whooped for her friend, sniggering as the witch almost tripped when she got to Professor McGonagall. The poor girl looked so ecstatic that even Mary felt happy for her. The only reservation Mary held was, of course, that Ava was now entering a deadly tournament. Not only did she have the threat of getting killed during the tasks, but she had the double threat of Lilith, who had been gunning for her place for years.

As Ava shook the hands of the headmasters, Mary looked over at the Hogwarts table. Of course, Lilith was clapping along with the others – albeit less enthusiastically – but the look on her face was purely murderous. Mary pulled a face then downed the rest of her coffee. She cast a thought to Ava as she entered the adjoining room.

“God help her.”

Beatrice knew what was coming next. The other two schools’ champions had been called, leaving only her school. She tried to control her trembling hands by folding them in her lap. Maybe she wouldn’t get picked and this nerve-wracking nightmare would be over. A slither of relief passed through her, only replaced by the chilling grip of despair. No, she had come here to win the tournament – no matter how hard it may be, no matter if she would die, no matter if it would shoot her nerves. This was what she wanted. She took a deep breath as the Goblet, its flames burning red, shot out the last piece of parchment.

“Last but not least, from Durmstrang…” McGonagall began, pausing exclusively for dramatic effect, “Beatrice.”

The sound of the clapping and cheering from everyone in the Hall was deafening. Thankful that her legs were working on autopilot, Beatrice stood from the table and began making her way towards the front. All eyes were on her. She heard some familiar voices telling her congratulations, but she couldn’t respond. All she could do was focus her energy on her legs, propelling her towards a smiling Professor McGonagall. When she shook the hand of the woman, the full force of the raucous atmosphere hit her.

“Congratulations, my dear,” said the headmistress. Beatrice knew she meant it.

As she shook the hands of the other headmasters, they offered her congratulations and promised they’d meet with her and the others soon. She was pointed in the direction of the small door off to the side. With one last smile at her two friends at the table, Beatrice took hold of the cool handle and opened the door. As soon as it shut, it was like she’d gone deaf, all the noise immediately halting. Finally, she could hear her own breathing, ragged and uncontrolled. Before taking another step, she took a few deep breaths, allowed herself a smile of victory, then stepped into the room.

“Beatrice!” it was Ava who shouted her name. Beatrice felt her breathing pick up again at the sight.

With no time to react, the smaller girl barrelled into her, almost knocking her over as she was enveloped into a tight hug. She felt herself freeze. However, it didn’t seem Ava was letting go anytime soon. Besides, there was no one here but them. No one would have to know. Tentatively, she lifted a hand and placed it between Ava’s shoulder blades, hugging her back every so slightly. After a few more seconds, their grips loosened, and Ava pulled back.

“Congratulations!” said Ava, a broad smile on her face.

“Thank you, you too,” Beatrice replied. They held each other’s gazes for a few seconds until Beatrice remembered about the other person she’d also be competing against. He stepped back from the wall, offering his hand to her immediately.

“JC. Nice to meet you,” he said. Beatrice took his hand.

“Beatrice. My pleasure,” she said formally. She dropped his hand.

“How cool is this!” Ava exclaimed.

Beatrice couldn’t help herself. She smiled. Then, upon seeing the look of pure joy on the other witch’s face, she allowed herself a quiet chuckle. It all felt so surreal. JC started vehemently agreeing with her, launching into a speech about how it was really going to test him and push him to his limits, but Beatrice found herself not listening to a word. Her whole focus was on watching Ava’s face and how she animatedly nodded along with everything JC was saying, how she practically bounced from foot-to-foot, and how her smile never faltered. Ava was really, really pretty.

Suddenly, the outside noise flooded in, and was then shut out after a few seconds. In walked the three headmasters and the head of the tournament: Superion. Professor McGonagall immediately stood in front of the three champions, a bright smile on her face. Superion did the same while Duretti stood beside Beatrice, and Madame Maxime flanked JC.

“First of all, I think congratulations are in order, to all three of you! Very well done. Next, I’d like to introduce you to Madame Superion who will oversee the Triwizard Tournament this year,” said McGonagall. She took a step back, allowing the other woman to step into her place.

“Thank you, Minerva. Congratulations,” the woman said. She surveyed the competitors, almost with a bored expression on her face. She was tight-lipped and stern, with a huge scar down the side of her face. “As you know, you are now in a binding contract with the Tournament. You have been selected by the Goblet and must complete the entire tournament no matter what,” she continued. The ‘no matter what’ settled heavily in the room. “Your first task will be in a month. You know this tournament is dangerous, so don’t expect it to be easy. You are, of course, allowed to discuss the tasks, your thoughts and plans with your friends and trusted professors. However, only I know what the tasks are, so you will never truly know until the task begins what you will be facing. I wish you all the best of luck.”

“Oh, could I just ask—” JC began, but Superion had already turned on her heel and was walking out of the room without a second thought. JC’s question died on his lips.

“The task will be on Sunday the 26th of October at nine A.M. sharp. Do not be late,” said Professor McGonagall.

“Wait, where?” asked Ava urgently. McGonagall smiled, and no one was sure whether it was reassuring or forced.

“Outside on the grounds. Don’t worry, dears, you’ll see the tents,” said McGonagall. She clapped her hands together. “Right, off to bed now! Congratulations once again!”

The three competitors all left the side room with mixed emotions. JC was quiet, his shoulders squared as he walked out of the room. The second the door opened, two girls ran at him, hugging him and kissing each cheek. A boy stood back, waiting for his opportunity to clap a hand on his back and tell him congratulations.

“Time to celebrate!” one of the girls said. She gave a small glance to the other champions, surveying them with a look of disinterest. JC stood back from his friends and gestured towards them, introducing them all to Ava and Beatrice. Zori was the one who looked bored by their presence, Chanel was the one who gave them each a smile and a hello, and Randall was the boy whose gaze lingered a little too long on Beatrice.

“Uh, I’ll see you guys later, but, yeah, congrats!” said JC. He allowed his friends to drag him away towards the doors to the Great Hall. As soon as they had made space, a tall witch sidled up to Ava, slinging an arm around her.

“Well, you were right. Congratulations!” said Mary. She ruffled Ava’s hair in the way Ava pretended to hate.

“Thanks, Mary. This is Beatrice,” said Ava.

Beatrice held a hand out to Ava’s friend, but the girl just inspected it.

“Nah, I don’t do that formal shit. I’m Mary,” she said.

At first, Beatrice thought she seemed rude, but then she smiled, and it made her features look softer. Beatrice decided she liked this Mary girl, although her name rang a bell. Beatrice glanced around the room, noting that there were no others in the Great Hall. She knew why, of course, but it still made her feel small. Mary watched Beatrice as Ava outlined what their headmistress had told them about the tasks. Once Ava was done, Mary turned her full attention to the Durmstrang girl.

“Your friends are waiting outside the doors,” said Mary.

Beatrice smiled pleasantly, but her eyes told a different story. Was she really that easy to read? Was it evident on her face that she was disappointed?

“Thank you. I will see you guys later, then. Congratulations, Ava,” said Beatrice.

“Yeah, you too!” Ava replied.

Beatrice gave the pair one last wave before making her way towards the door. The two witches seemed really nice, and Beatrice had already grown to like Ava – even in their brief interactions. Unfortunately, that ended today. As she left the Great Hall, she came face-to-face with Camila and Shannon, who both brought her in for a hug.

“We’re sorry, Bea. We wanted to stay in the hall, but you know what Duretti’s like,” said Camila, her eyes downcast. She brightened up immediately as she added, “Congratulations, though! We figured you’d be the champion for us!”

“Yeah, nice one!” added Shannon.

Out walked Mary and Ava, laughing, and looking so carefree. Shannon cast a glance towards the pair, smiling politely. That’s when Beatrice remembered that the girl Shannon was chatting excitedly about before was Mary – her Charms partner. Camila ran forward towards Ava, stopping a foot away. She wished her congratulations and they shared a few words and smiles as she was introduced to Mary. The pair of Hogwarts witches bid their goodnights and started making their way towards Gryffindor Tower. Duretti walked out of the Great Hall, nodding his head in acknowledgement at his three students. However, just as he was walking past, Ava span around on the staircase to face the witches.

“Hey, just because we’re Charms partners doesn’t mean I’ll take it easy on you in the tournament!” she shouted before sprinting up the stairs, laughing as she dragged Mary with her.

Beatrice dropped her head, as did Shannon. Camila just stood still, staring up at Ava with her jaw slack. Duretti turned very slowly to address them, clasping his hands in front of him. He gave them an unpleasant smile.

“Ava and JC are now the Durmstrang enemies. You are not to engage with them, not even in class, especially you Beatrice. I expected more of you. Who is your Charms professor?” Duretti spat.

With her head still hung, Beatrice replied, “Professor Flitwick.”

“I will be having words tomorrow,” said Duretti. He went to turn back towards the main entrance when he changed his mind. The three witches all still held their breaths. He added in a biting tone, “This ‘friendship’ with the Hogwarts champion, is over.” Camila dropped her head. “Am I understood?” he asked. The girls avoided his gaze. “Am I understood?” he snapped.

“Yes, professor,” the witches said in unison, their eyes never leaving the floor.

Duretti was the first to leave the castle, storming back to the ship as Beatrice, Shannon and Camila all stood shell-shocked in the hallway. Eventually, they silently walked towards the door and out onto the grounds. As the main door closed and she knew she had been left alone, Lilith crept from around the corner, wide-eyed and with a wicked smile.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, all comments are welcome! I see a few people hating on Duretti in the comments - don't worry, he gets worse:D Hope you enjoy the update:)

Suffice to say, Ava was confused. Just as things seemed to be looking up for her in terms of new friendships, they took a turn for the worst. As she sat in the Gryffindor common room alongside Mary while they worked on their latest Potions homework, Ava’s mind wandered back to the last two weeks.

The first occasion that made Ava curious was when she waved at Shannon and Beatrice in the Great Hall, and they both pretended to not see her. Ava knew they had, though, because Beatrice turned a slight shade of pink, proceeding to avoid even looking in her general direction for the rest of the mealtime. Next, they were placed in Potions where Professor Slughorn awkwardly seemed to keep the two schools separated, constantly throwing wary glances towards the door. What really hammered the nail in the coffin was when they all turned up to Charms. Ava, still assuming nothing was going on, took her seat on the edge of the bench before Beatrice had arrived. When the Durmstrang witch did arrive, she cast a glance over at Ava before sitting on the opposite side of the classroom. Following the class, Ava tried approaching Beatrice, but the girl must’ve sensed her presence and packed her bag at lightning speed before practically sprinting from the room. It was Professor Flitwick who noticed the odd interaction and invited Ava to sit down for a few minutes.

“I don’t know the full extent of what’s going on, Miss Silva,” he had begun, taking a deep breath and sighing. With no one else in the room, he still shiftily moved his gaze from side-to-side, always paying the most attention to the door. He dropped his voice, “But their headmaster Duretti is a very strict man. He seems to be under the impression that anyone who isn’t Durmstrang is the enemy – especially you, Miss Silva.”

“But I’ve not done anything!” she argued.

“I know,” he said with a nod. “I think it’s best you stay away from the Durmstrang students, not for your sake, but for theirs. Duretti has ordered all Professors to split up the schools during lessons, so I can only imagine what he’s told his students. This isn’t what any of us wanted, but it seems we don’t have a choice.”

The words hung in the air between them before Ava asked, “What about Professor McGonagall? Can she not overrule his judgement?”

“And disrupt the harmony? No. She’s expressed her distaste for the arrangements, but she doesn’t want to ruin the interschool relationships,” said Flitwick.

“It’s hardly harmonious if we’re not even allowed to wave at each other,” Ava sighed. Professor Flitwick could only agree, marking the end of that conversation.

It swam through her head as she placed her quill down. She wasn’t going to get any further with her work without talking it out with her friend. Before she could even open her mouth to utter a single word, Mary had already turned to her, a smirk on her face.

“Ava, you think way too loudly, you know,” she quipped. Ava smiled lopsidedly.

“I just don’t understand why Duretti is acting that way! This tournament is meant to be a way of bringing the three schools together!” said Ava. Mary put her quill down and massaged her temples before looking back up at her friend.

“I know and I agree, but what I don’t understand is why you’re so hung up about it? You spoke to the Durmstrang girls how many times? Twice?” asked Mary. When she saw a fleeting look of upset cross her friend’s features, Mary sighed. She softened, “Look, this is the first tournament where Duretti has been the head of Durmstrang. He might just be running things differently to previous years. I know it’s not ideal, but rules are rules.”

There was a long beat of silence before either of them spoke again. Mary began feeling agitated. In all their years of friendship, Ava had never been silent for longer than three seconds. It made her nervous. Finally, Ava spoke, but this time, her voice was merely a murmur.

“Everyone here thinks I’m weird. Everyone here knows that my whole family are dead. Everyone treats me differently because of it. If they’re not walking on eggshells to avoid talking about families, they’re whispering behind my back, or insulting me to my face. I thought with the new students, it would be different. They didn’t know me as the orphan with no family, or the girl completely new to magic it was embarrassing how little I could do. They just knew me as Ava. I thought it would be different,” Ava admitted. She cast a downward glance at the table in front of them as she picked at the hem of her t-shirt. For years, she’d imagined what it would be like finally opening up about how she really felt, but once the words were out, she didn’t really feel anything.

“You know I know how that feels more than anybody, Ava. It’s why we’ve got to stick together. Maybe Duretti will change his mind and let us mix next term,” Mary suggested. Ava couldn’t afford to hold onto false hope. She shook her head.

“I know it’s stupid. You’re right. I literally spoke to them two or three times. I don’t know why I’m so caught up with it all,” said Ava.

“No, that’s not what I said. I…I…” Mary began. Her eyes flit everywhere but failed to even look at Ava. The younger witch was patient, tilting her head to the side, waiting for Mary when she was ready to tell her what she was thinking. Finally, Mary let out a breath, “I feel the same. When I was chatting to Shannon, I finally felt like I wasn’t being judged for what happened to my mum, because she doesn’t know about my mum. I just felt like I was chatting to a friend – other than you, of course.” Ava hung on her every word, nodding frequently.

“Yeah, I felt the same with Beatrice…” Ava let her admission hang between them, both clearly leaving things left unsaid.

“Yeah,” was all Mary said. They both looked at each other, understanding passing between them, before they both smiled weakly. At least they still had each other.

On the other side of the castle, Lilith was wrapped up in her robes, ready twenty minutes early for her prefect duty. However, she wasn’t going to be waiting for that duty to start in the castle. Instead, she strolled purposefully out of the main entrance and onto the grounds. The air wasn’t cold, but she was glad for her extra layer. With the Durmstrang ship in sight, she began making her way over.

She’d had a lot of time to think about why she was heading over there and what her plan consisted off. If anyone found out, her Head Girl title would most likely be stripped from her, but she knew no one would. Her plan was perfect. There was no way Duretti would say no. Still, she felt her nerves pool as she reached the large, wooden door on the side. With no time to hesitate or back out now, she lifted a fist and hammered. She was surprised to see her old Charms partner, Camila, answer the door in less than thirty seconds.

“Um, hi. What can I help you with?” she asked, a little politely and a little too formally for someone so happy and cheerful all the time.

“I would like to speak with Headmaster Duretti, please,” said Lilith. She lifted her chin, trying to instil more confidence than she’d ever possessed in her lifetime. She didn’t miss the perplexed look Camila shot her at her request.

“I’ll go see if he’s up,” she said.

Lilith thanked her and she was on her way. It took less than a minute before Duretti was stood before her, Camila long gone – probably back to her room. He was still dressed formally, in his wizards’ robes, but there was a look of tiredness about him. It was clear that he was annoyed that he’d been disturbed, but there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes. Lilith tried to focus on that rather than the annoyance clearly on his face.

“I’ll cut straight to the point,” Lilith began.

“I would appreciate that,” he added gruffly.

“I have a preposition for you,” she said. The curiosity grew, but so did his scepticism. He raised an eyebrow. “My family has provided six winners of the Triwizard Tournament and I was next in line. I get the highest results, work the hardest, and should have been picked by the Goblet of Fire. Instead, that Gryffindor girl was chosen—” Lilith’s practiced speech was interrupted.

“Where is this going?” Duretti sighed.

“I’m getting there,” Lilith challenged, “I am the rightful Hogwarts champion and it pains me seeing Ava up there. I would rather my school suffer a loss in the tournament than have her be victorious when it should have been me. I also know that you obviously want your champion to win and you’ll do anything to ensure that’s possible. However, there are some things you can’t control.”

“Oh, really? Like what?” he questioned.

“If you messed with Ava or JC, it would be obvious you were tampering with the tournament and you’d probably be trialled. What I’m suggesting is that I do it on your behalf. I can gain Ava’s trust and pretend to be training her. She’d believe me because I’m a legacy and I’ve had lots of training. However, I’d just weaken her, throw her off her game, and ensure the success of Beatrice. I don’t see JC as being much of a threat, but Ava? Let’s just say it’s better not to take our chances.”

Duretti was deep in thought. Lilith waited. She had a very good idea about the type of man Duretti was, but if she’d read him wrong, this would be catastrophic. So, she was glad when he broke into an evil smile. She’d read him right.

“And what would you get out of this?” he asked.

“Bragging rights,” said Lilith with a shrug, “If Ava loses terribly, the whole school will know that the rightful Hogwarts champion was me. It would allow me a huge ‘I told you so’ moment.”

He nodded thoughtfully, before replying, “You’re a smart girl.” He grinned, and Lilith felt a slight shudder. She blamed it on the October evening chill. He dropped his voice, “This never goes further than the two of us.”

“Obviously,” said Lilith.

“Good,” he said. Lilith took this as her cue to leave, nodding at him before turning away. “However,” he said in a warning tone. He grabbed at her forearm and pulled her back around to face him. A dark look crossed his features before he continued, “If this ever gets out – what you’re planning to do to Miss Silva – I had nothing to do with it. If this goes wrong, I will betray you.” His grip on her arm tightened. She was sure he’d leave finger marks or nail indents in her skin. Sternly, she nodded, sighing in relief as he released her. Another evil smile snaked its way onto his lips. In a louder, cheerier voice, he said, “Thank you for coming to see me. Head on back to the castle now! Goodnight!”

“Goodnight,” Lilith replied before walking away.

She couldn’t help but feel a little heavier, like a stone had dropped to the pit of her stomach and it churned uncomfortably. She found solace in the knowledge that she’d planned this for two weeks and deliberated over it for a while. If she wasn’t the Hogwarts champion, she’d ensure that everyone knew she was meant to be, and if that meant befriending someone just to betray them, so be it.

Camila gave a light, practiced knock on Beatrice’s door. The witch had been given her own room as a gift for becoming the Durmstrang champion, leaving an empty bed in Shannon and Camila’s room. The smallest witch still wasn’t used to falling asleep looking at a vacant spot against the wall.

Beatrice opened the door, offering Camila a warm smile before stepping aside to let her in. Camila looked around. She’d visited this room only a few times. In the corner was a double bed, a luxury only the champion and Duretti had on the ship. It sat just below the little window. There was a bedside cabinet and a large set of drawers against the back wall, right next to a wardrobe. There was a small desk, tucked into the corner with a desk chair and large supply of parchment. No other room had this. Camila couldn’t help but think it was unfair, but her annoyance was never aimed at her friend. In fact, based on how much time Beatrice spent in her old room, it seemed clear that the witch wasn’t the biggest fan of having her own space – even if it did mean a personal desk.

Based on the roll of parchment unravelled atop the wooden desk, Camila assumed Beatrice was making good use of it. There was nothing else out in the room. Camila smiled. Since Beatrice had moved out, hers and Shannon’s room had become akin to a tip, with clothes, parchment and books strewn everywhere. They both knew that if Beatrice was still residing with them, the mess would never have occurred.

“Camila, is everything okay?” Beatrice asked. She motioned for the girl to sit down on her bed. Beatrice pulled out her swivel chair, dropping down on it before tucking one foot under her thigh. Camila shifted backwards on the bed, resting her back against the wall and crossing her legs in front of her.

“Can you think of any reason why the Head Girl of Hogwarts would be asking for Duretti at—” Camila began, glancing down at her wrist before continuing, “nearly ten o’clock?” Beatrice’s eyebrows rose as she considered this.

“I mean, I have never visited Professor McGonagall or Madame Maxime for anything – especially not at this time. Could it be possible that Professor McGonagall sent her to deliver a message on her behalf?” asked Beatrice. With a shrug, Camila looked up at the ceiling.

“It just doesn’t make sense. I’m a little suspicious,” Camila admitted.

With a dismissive wave, Beatrice said, “I am sure there is a perfectly good reason for it. Besides, you worked with Lilith in Charms a few weeks ago. You said she was pleasant enough.”

“She seemed it, yeah,” Camila said quietly. However, there was something nagging at the back of her mind. After a brief pause, Camila asked, “You said she was a legacy?” Beatrice nodded. “How many of her family members took part?”

“Six took part and six won,” Beatrice stated.

“Hmm.”

“What is it?”

“Why was Ava picked over her, then?” Camila asked.

“That is something I have considered…” Beatrice trailed off, deep in thought. She paused for a second before continuing, “Perhaps we are underestimating Ava. The Goblet chose her for a reason.”

“Or it didn’t choose Lilith for a reason,” Camila suggested.

Beatrice raised her gaze to meet Camila’s. It was heavy. What Camila was suggesting was dangerous. There was nothing to support Camila’s argument that Lilith shouldn’t have been picked, but Beatrice couldn’t help but feel a small tug in her gut that her friend was correct.

“Maybe we should listen to their conversation?” Camila suggested in a whisper. Immediately, Beatrice shook her head vehemently.

“No, we should not. They could be discussing something private,” said Beatrice. Camila sighed, knowing her friend was right. Beatrice was always right.

“Yeah, okay,” Camila agreed. She let out a yawn. “It’s getting late. I should head back to our room,” she continued.

Beatrice simply nodded. The small witch shuffled off her bed and made her way out of the door, bidding Beatrice goodnight. As the door clicked shut, Beatrice dropped back down at her desk. A part of her wished she’d agreed to Camila’s plan of eavesdropping, just to ensure the girl stayed a bit longer. She was an introvert who adored her time alone, but when it seemed constant, it was almost crushing. She missed her friends and their late-night conversations about who they thought were cute. Obviously, those were discussions Beatrice never involved herself in, but she was more than happy to listen, giggling along like prepubescent children when Camila fawned over how cute certain Beauxbatons boys were. The memory brought the ghost of a smile to her face. She wondered if Shannon and Camila still had those chats in her absence.

As she felt the familiar bubbling of envy in her veins, she shut it down immediately, taking calming breaths as she emptied her mind. Both witches were her closest friends. They weren’t just going to forget about her. They cared about her, and Beatrice cared about them too.

With a long sigh, Beatrice turned back to her parchment and unravelled it. Thankfully, Camila hadn’t asked to see what assignment she was working on. The truth was that Beatrice wasn’t working on an assignment at all. Instead, she was documenting her whole experience with the Triwizard Tournament. However, she avoided writing in any of the languages her friends (or anyone else for that matter) would recognise, opting for Latin. She deliberated including information about what her and Camila had discussed and decided to write it down anyway – mostly just to keep her hands and mind occupied.

_Perhaps Lilith is up to something. Why would she come to see Duretti at night when no one else is around? Why was she not picked over Ava by the Goblet? It is probably nothing, but maybe it is something. Only time will tell._

She translated into Latin on the piece of parchment. She read it, then reread it, finding it less and less convincing each time. It was common knowledge that Duretti was a bit of a shady man with a colourful past from working in the Ministry of Magic years before becoming the headmaster of Durmstrang. But Lilith? Beatrice failed to know much about the woman other than what she had read in the Daily Prophet over the years and in textbooks recounting victors of the tournaments. Besides, Lilith was Head Girl. Professor McGonagall surely wouldn’t have picked someone like Lilith if she was evil or would ever be up to something. Thankfully, her rational brain could put those concerns to bed. Still, she couldn’t find any reason for the girl to be visiting their headmaster at night. Admittedly, that was a little odd.

/////////

Ava sat in Defence Against the Dark Arts, her attention focused solely on JC across the room as he concentrated on what the Professor was saying. He glanced up, immediately spotting Ava looking at him. It was too late for her to pretend she wasn’t looking, so she just offered him a small wave. He returned it with a bright smile. _He is so, so cute,_ Ava thought, _Besides, Madame Maxime hasn’t banned the Beauxbatons from being friends with us. Maybe I should try to make friends with JC’s._ Her eyes found Chanel’s and she offered the girl a wave too. When Chanel waved back, Ava let out a breath and a smile. Chanel seemed the nicest of all JC’s friends, devastatingly loyal to him, but consistently pleasant to the Hogwarts students too. Yeah, Ava could see herself fitting in with them two.

She cast her thoughts to Zori and Randall. From what she knew, Zori was a little stand-offish and not as nice as Chanel. Perhaps that was something Ava could look past though, just to make friends with the others. Randall was someone Ava couldn’t really form an opinion of. He seemed close to JC and the others, but very disinterested in Ava. She thought back to the night when she’d met them – after she’d been picked from the Goblet of Fire – and remembered how he had unabashedly checked out Beatrice. The mental image gave her a funny feeling. She felt a nudge at her side.

“Hey, shouldn’t you be concentrating? You might need to know this for the tournament,” came Lilith’s biting voice from beside her. Ava turned, smirking as she faced the Slytherin girl.

“Aw, is someone worried about me?” Ava asked.

“More worried about you ruining the reputation of Hogwarts by failing in the tournament,” Lilith quipped. She gave Ava a smug smile.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Ava whispered, hoping their Professor wouldn’t overhear them talking.

Other than Mary and the Durmstrang girls, Lilith was the only other person who’d paid her any attention in the past few months. Ava wasn’t just going to throw the opportunity to be friends with the girl away for the sake of one class.

“Look,” Lilith’s voice grew in seriousness as she lowered it, “You’re new to the game. I was practically raised to take part in the tournament, so – no offence – but I know what I’m doing more than you. I don’t want the other schools to win, so how about I give you some help with the tournament? Just a few spells and tactics that might come in handy?” Lilith asked.

Ava’s heart leapt into her throat. Honestly, she was expecting Lilith to go straight for her jugular when she’d been announced the Hogwarts champion. The last thing she’d expected was for Lilith to help her. Obviously, it damaged her ego a little that Lilith thought so low of her, but at the same time, she could probably get much further with an expert’s help. Besides, there was nothing in the rule book saying that she couldn’t get any help if it was offered. In fear of seeming too keen, Ava pretended to take a moment to consider it.

“I think that could work,” said Ava faux-nonchalantly. Lilith’s smile was much brighter than what Ava had anticipated.

“Great! How about we start training this weekend then?” Ava was nodding along before Lilith even got the question out.

Their conversation ended just in time as their Professor yelled, warning that the next person to talk during class would be subject to a detention. Ava hardly paid any attention, too busy looking forward to making a new friend over the weekend.

//////////

It was Shannon’s idea to drag them all out of the ship on the Saturday to explore the grounds before it got too cold to do so. Nevertheless, they wrapped up fairly warm. Compared to Durmstrang, Hogwarts had warmer weather, but they were smart, so wore their Muggle clothes, which were typically warmer than wizards’ robes. The sun was up, casting a slightly warm glow on the students milling around the grounds.

Beatrice took a gulp of air, trying to focus on the feeling of the oxygen reaching her lungs, filling them up, and then releasing carbon dioxide as she exhaled. This break from her work was overdue, so she was thankful that Shannon brought this up as an idea. Clearly, Camila felt the same, smiling as she took each step. At one point, she even closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling of the cool air on her face. She had a flask of nettle tea, complete with three cups for each of her friends to share once they found a nice sitting spot.

“How about we sit under that tree? It’ll be sheltered in case the grass is wet,” Shannon suggested.

Camila studied her out of the corner of her eye. They’d passed multiple trees with plenty of shelter on their travels. The only difference between this one and the others was that it was awfully close to where Lilith, Mary and Ava were stood on the grass. In fact, they were so close, if they remained in silence, they could probably make out the conversation between the Hogwarts students.

“Sure!” said Camila in her usual upbeat manner.

They each dropped down on the grass, thanking Merlin that it wasn’t damp or uncomfortable. Shannon settled against the trunk of the tree; her legs spread out in front of her as she faced towards the three Hogwarts witches. Camila sat opposite her, tucking her feet underneath her before setting out the cups and pouring out some homemade nettle tea. Silently, Beatrice sat down, crossing her legs, keeping Ava and the others in her periphery. Camila passed the nettle tea around. They all thanked her. Shannon took a break from looking at Mary to turn to her quiet friend.

“Care to share what’s on your mind, Bea?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing,” said Beatrice. She tried waving off the looks of concern in her direction.

“Beatrice, we’ve known you for seven years. You can’t lie to us,” said Camila.

Although her words were cutting, she was wearing a knowing smile. Beatrice blew out a puff of air. Camila was right; she couldn’t lie to her best friends. She cast a glance towards the Hogwarts students before turning back to her small group.

“I guess I am feeling a little disappointed,” Beatrice began. She paused to see if the others would agree. They looked at her, awaiting her continuation. “I was hoping that I would, first of all, get into the tournament, of course. But I also thought we were here to build bridges between the schools, and I unfortunately can’t help feeling like we’re missing out.”

“Amen to that,” Shannon retorted. She barked out a laugh before continuing, “I was just making friends with Mary and enjoying Charms and our other classes with the Hogwarts students, but now it feels like it’s illegal to even look at them.” She let out a heavy sigh.

“I feel kinda silly because we barely knew them, but I really liked chatting to Ava and Lilith. I haven’t spoken much to Mary, but she seems cool. It’s just nice talking to people who can teach you so much about like their culture and classes. Oh, and their professors! They have so many stories about them! I love you guys, you know that, I just wish we weren’t constrained to just us. If we’re not taking part in the tournament, it would be a nice consolation to make friends at least,” Camila added. The other two murmured their agreement.

“Maybe we could talk to Duretti. Make him see that the Hogwarts and Beauxbatons students aren’t threats to us and we should at least be able to sit with them in classes?” said Shannon.

“Do you really think he’d listen to us?” asked Beatrice. She let her words sink in as she sipped from her cup. The silence she was met with answered her question.

“He wouldn’t listen to _us_ , no,” said Camila after a long pause.

“What are you suggesting?” Beatrice asked, narrowing her eyes.

“You’re Head Girl, the best student Durmstrang has seen in terms of academic achievement in centuries! Look, Duretti may not listen to us because as far as he’s concerned, we’re nobodies, but he might just listen to you! You could convince him—” Camila began, immediately stopping her conversation as a shadow loomed over her.

“Hey,” came the familiar voice from behind her.

Slowly, Camila turned. With Camila being sat on the floor, Lilith looked even taller than usual, and much scarier. The small girl would never admit that she feared Lilith, somehow knowing that it was something the taller girl would relish in knowing. So, Camila gulped down her fear and gave her a bright, cheerful smile.

“Hey!” she said.

Joining her were Mary and Ava, both jogging to catch up to the Hogwarts Head Girl. Beatrice dropped her gaze. If Duretti saw them now, she’d be given Hell the second they stepped foot back on the ship. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up, almost like she knew he was watching her from somewhere. Surely, he couldn’t be, she convinced herself. They’d left him in the ship, pouring over some book about the Ministry less than half an hour ago. Besides, why would he spend his weekend trailing after three teenage witches to catch them potentially talking to the enemy? With that train of thought, she was able to put her anxieties to bed, but her eyes remained fixed on the floor.

“Look, we don’t know what your gain is, but we were told that Durmstrang students weren’t to be involved with any of the other schools, and well, it looks a little suspicious that you three are here, watching us train for the tournament when one of you is a competitor,” Lilith argued.

Before any of the Durmstrang witches could put her mind at ease, Mary jumped to their defence, “Lil, it’s fine. I doubt they’re scoping out Ava as the competition.”

“Hey!” Ava exclaimed.

Although Beatrice couldn’t see her reaction, she just knew that the girl was smiling in that cute way that flashed her white teeth but with her eyebrows raised in mock offence. Beatrice allowed herself a small smile, invisible to everyone else around her.

“Yeah, we didn’t even know you guys were training,” Camila added.

Lilith just narrowed her eyes at her. Camila’s gaze never wavered. Shannon looked between them both, wondering if they were going to both just fight it out right here in the middle of the grounds, or just drop whatever tension was between them. Secretly, she was kind of hoping for the former. She risked a glance at Mary, noting that the witch was already focused on her. A barely-there smile passed between them both. Beatrice finally looked up.

“If you would rather us find another tree to sit under, that can be arranged,” Beatrice offered.

“No!” Ava rushed. She corrected her tone as less urgent as she continued, “No, that won’t be necessary. It’s all cool. Mi casa es su casa, and all that, except mi Hogwarts grounds es su Hogwarts Grounds.”

If Ava was good at anything, it was stumbling over her own words and making an absolute fool of herself. However, she was so shameless that not even a blush rose to her cheeks. Beatrice had no idea how she did that, but she wished she could harness that power. Ava let out an awkward laugh. Beatrice didn’t miss Mary’s confused expression as she glanced at her best friend.

“Um…Anyway,” Mary began, “Lilith, you can’t dictate where they sit. If they want to sit and watch Ava’s failed attempt after failed attempt at simple spells, that’s their choice.” Once again, Ava expressed her offence at Mary’s words. Beatrice unsuccessfully stifled a laugh behind her hand. What caused Lilith to glare at the Durmstrang witch just caused Ava to amusingly challenge her.

“I’m sorry, Miss Beatrice, is there something that’s funny?” Ava questioned. She placed a hand on her hip as she looked down at the witch.

“Obviously no offence, Ava, but I have witnessed your Charms and I must agree with Mary,” said Beatrice.

Immediately, Camila snapped her head in Beatrice’s direction at breakneck speed. Shannon turned, narrowing her eyes at her friend. Feeling both pairs of eyes on her, Beatrice refused to even glance in their direction. Instead, she focused all her attention on Ava, noting that cheeky glint in her dark eyes. Beatrice felt a rush. She never spoke to anyone in that manner, but for some reason, she knew Ava would respond in an equally joking way. It thrilled her.

“Ah, you’ve experienced my Charms but not my charm,” Ava said, throwing in a wink for good measure.

Before Beatrice could react, though she wasn’t sure she could manage any words with shock and nervousness running through her veins, Mary let out a loud, prolonged groan. Even Lilith rolled her eyes. Camila chuckled before throwing a subtle glance in Beatrice’s direction.

“Once again, I’d like to apologise on behalf of my _friends_. Note that I use that term very, very loosely,” said Mary. Ava let out a – somewhat victorious – laugh that made Beatrice’s heart leap a little. “Right, come on,” Mary continued. She threw her arms over Ava and Lilith’s shoulders, steering them back to where they’d been training. “Sorry for disturbing you. Enjoy your…” Mary glanced down at the flask and cups before continuing unsurely, “Tea?”

She dragged the pair away, casting a long look at Shannon before she turned. Lilith simply allowed to be pulled, but Ava manoeuvred around, throwing the three witches enthusiastic waves. This time, the trio returned her wave. Camila diverted her attention back to her friends, taking a small sip of her tea. Shannon’s eyes were still lingering on Mary’s retreating form and Beatrice’s gaze had dropped to study the liquid in her cup.

“You’re different around her,” said Camila to Beatrice. She said it in such a way that it sounded merely observational. It was a statement where Beatrice felt she couldn’t agree nor disagree with. The witch just looked up at her like a deer caught in headlights with slightly wide eyes and an excuse or argument forming on her parted lips already.

“I don’t…I…” Beatrice mumbled, very uncharacteristic of her. Camila gave her a reassuring smile, ready to argue with her, when their seemingly silent friend chipped in.

“She’s right, Bea. Don’t deny it,” said Shannon, still not taking her eyes off Mary.

“And somebody has a crush…” said Camila in a sing-song voice as she looked at Shannon. Apparently, though, the tallest witch hadn’t heard that comment, or maybe she just chose not to answer.

Camila shot a grin in Beatrice’s direction. Shannon had announced that she was gay a long, long time ago – back when they were merely thirteen years old. It came as no surprise when she came out so early considering how self-assured she was. Over their years of knowing her, both Camila and Beatrice could tell immediately when their friend was pining over a girl. Beatrice smiled back at Camila, then cast a glance at Shannon. Sighing, she wished she felt as comfortable as the girl did with her sexuality. Unfortunately, Beatrice couldn’t afford that luxury. Not yet, anyway. Still, just because she was suffering didn’t mean her friends also had to. She felt the familiar weight of responsibility settle on her shoulders, almost comforting to her now.

“So…” Beatrice began. She paused to take a deep breath, knowing that once the next few words leave her lips, there’ll be no going back on them. “How can I convince Duretti to let us mix with the other students?”

**Author's Note:**

> So, thoughts on the first chapter..? Also, Uni student struggles atm, so I can't promise very regular updates but I've written the first three chapters!


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